Toy building with flight deck and rotatable baggage platform

ABSTRACT

A toy airport is formed as a simulated building having a control or observation tower and a flight deck usable by toy aircraft. A hand crank in the flight deck region rotates a circular platform below the flight deck, and upright walls closely spaced over the platform guide simulated baggage around the platform in a simulated baggage delivery system. The crank also turns a receptacle on the flight deck, and a toy helicopter has a drive connection fitting the receptacle for rotating the helicopter&#39;&#39;s blades. There is an intermediate level below the flight deck with motor vehicle ramps leading thereto. A section of the building may be pivoted 180* to an extended position.

United States Patent Reiling, It.

[ Oct. 15, 1974 TOY BUILDING WITH FLIGHT DECK AND ROTATABLE BAGGAGE PLATFORM [75] Inventor: Victor G. Reiling, .Ir., East Aurora,

[73] Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company,

Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: Dec. 6, 1972 2 1] Appl. No.: 312,586

Primary ExaminerF. Barry Shay Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cumpston, Shaw & Stephens [57] ABSTRACT A toy airport is formed as a simulated building having a control or observation tower and a flight deck usable by toy aircraft. A hand crank in the flight deck region rotates a circular platform below the flight deck, and upright walls closely spaced over the platform guide simulated baggage around the platform in a simulated baggage delivery system. The crank also turns a receptacle on the flight deck, and a toy helicopter has a drive connection fitting the receptacle for rotating the helicopters blades. There is an intermediate level below the flight deck with motor vehicle ramps leading thereto. A section of the building may be pivoted 180 to an extended position.

10 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PAIENIED I 51914 8. 841 .018

sum 1 or 2 TOY BUILDING WITH FLIGHT DECK AND ROTATABLE BAGGAGE PLATFORM THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT:

Airplanes and airports have long been popular toys, and the invention involves recognition of a novel way of making a toy airport to enhance its play possibilities and make it a more entertaining and attractive toy. The invention aims at safety, simplicity, economy, ruggedness, durability and attractiveness in a toy airport that allows variable, interesting and creative play.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

The inventive toy airport is formed as a simulated building having an observation or control tower and a flight deck usable by toy aircraft. A hand crank in the flight deck region turns a vertical drive shaft having a gear meshing with a gear on a circular platform below the flight deck. Upright walls are spaced closely over the platform along parallel chords spaced on opposite sides of the center of the platform, and another upright wall spaced closely over the platform is formed as an oblong island oriented over the center of the platform on a diameter parallel with the chord walls and extending for about one-half the diameter of the platform so simulated baggage circulates around the platform between the walls as the crank turns. The building also has openings allowing play access to the platform at opposite ends of the island wall.

DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a partially cut-away plan view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive toy; and

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away front elevational view of the toy of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Toy is formed as a building simulating an airport building having a control tower 11 with a simulated beacon 12 and simulated flight decks 13 and 14 usable by toy aircraft. Toy 10 also has interior corridors 15 and 16 under flight decks l3 and 14 where passengers and baggage can move. Flight deck 14 is formed as the top surface of a wing 17 that has a'sleeve 18 pivotally mounted on journals l9 and 20 so that wing 17 can be pivoted throughout a range of 180 to any desired position where it rests on support leg 21. Toy 10 also includes a motor vehicle ramp 22 for delivering toy people and baggage to corridor 15, a base platform 50 at the bottom of ramps 22, and toy vehicles or people can also move under or along corridor 16 or along corridor 15 as desired. Toy 10 is also decorated in an airport motif to show a customer service counter along corridor 15, a travel agency under control tower 11, etc.

Toy 10 has several action features including a baggage delivery system driven by hand crank 23 on flight deck 13. Crank 23 turns drive shaft 24 which has a drive gear 25 on its lower end meshed with a gear 26 formed on a ring 51 under a circular platform 27 serving as a baggage conveyor. Platform 27 extends out fromunder an opening 28 under ramp 22 affording play access to platform 27, and platform 27 turns relatively slowly as crank 23 rotates. Upright walls 29 and 30 extend inward from opening 28 closely over platform 27 along parallel chords of circular platform 27 spaced on opposite sides of the central hub 31 of platform 27 to an opposite opening 32 affording play access to platform 27 across from opening 28. Another upright wall 33 is also closely spaced over platform 27 and forms an island oriented over the center of platform 27 on a diameter parallel with chord walls 29 and 30 and extending for about one-half a diameter of platform 27 as illustrated. The top surface of platform 27 is then exposed around a generally oval track around island wall 33 and chord walls 29 and 30, and simulated baggage placed on the top surface of platform 27 moves around such an oval track along walls 29, 30, and 33, to circulate back and forth from opening 28 to opening 32 as crank 23 is turned. Baggage can be circulated in either direction equally well, and baggage can be dropped off at opening 28 and moved over to opening 32 for pickup, or vice versa.

The outer rim of platform 27 is formed as a gear 34 meshing with a driven gear 35 on a vertical driven shaft 36 that turns a receptacle 37 on flight deck 13. The gear sizes of the drive train through gears 25, 26, 34 and 35 are preferably arranged so shaft 36 rotates substantially faster than shaft 24. Receptacle 37 has a square recess 38 in its top, and toy helicopter 40 has a vertical shaft 41 having a square lower end 42 that fits in recess 38. Helicopter shaft 41 then rotates with re cess 37 to rotate helicopter blades 43. Helicopter 40 can be removed or replaced over receptacle 37 as desired for various play activities. A cam 44 above gear 35 turns with shaft 36, and a sounder 45 resiliently engages cam 44 to make a sound simulating helicopter blades when shaft 36 turns.

The inventive toy provides many opportunities for creative play in having pivotal wing 17, simulated baggage conveyor 27, helicopter 40, and sounder 45. Simulated figures, aircraft and vehicles can also be used with the inventive toy for airport play. Toy 10 is also attractive, safe and rugged.

Persons wishing to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one point of view is necessarily chosen in describing and defining the invention, this should not inhibit broader or related embodiments going beyond the semantic orientation of this application but falling within the spirit of the invention, For example, those skilled in the art will appreciate the various ways the invention can be applied to toy airports.

I claim:

1. A toy airport comprising:

a. a simulated building having a control tower and a flight deck usable by toy aircraft;

b. a hand crank supported on said building for rotation in the flight deck region of said building;

c. a generally vertical drive shaft supported in said building and turned by said hand crank;

d. a drive gear in said building and turned by said shaft;

e. a circular horizontal platform, means rotatably mounting said platform in said building below said flight deck, said building having an open space over said platform and said platform having a gear meshing with said drive gear for rotating said platform as said hand crank turns;

f. a pair of upright walls spaced closely over said platform over parallel chords of said platform spaced on opposite sides of the center of said platform;

g. another upright wall spaced closely over said platform and forming an oblong island oriented over the center of said platform on a diameter parallel with said chord walls and extending for about onehalf of the diameter of said platform so simulated baggage circulates around said platform between said walls as said crank turns; and

h. said building having openings at opposite ends of said island wall allowing play access to said platform.

2. The toy airport of claim 1 including a vertical shaft supported in said building and rotatably driven by said platform; a receptacle turned by said driven shaft in the region of said flight deck; and a toy helicopter having a drive connection fitting in said receptacle and including means for rotating toy helicopter blades with said receptacle.

3. The toy airport of claim 2 including a gear drive for said driven shaft arranged to rotate said driven shaft substantially faster than said drive shaft.

4. The toy airport of claim 3 wherein said driven shaft has a gear, and said platform has another gear meshing with said driven shaft gear.

5. The toy airport of claim 4 including a cam on said driven shaft, and a sounder engaging said cam to simulate a helicopter sound as said driven shaft turns.

6. The toy airport of claim 2 including a cam on said driven shaft, and a sounder engaging said cam to simulate a helicopter sound as said driven shaft turns.

7. The toy airport of claim 1 including a wing on said building having a flight deck usable by a toy aircraft, and means for pivoting said wing around the axis of said control tower.

8. The toy airport of claim 7 including a vertical shaft supported in said building and rotatably driven by said platform; a receptacle turned by said driven shaft in the region of said flight deck; and a toy helicopter having a drive connection fitting in said receptacle and including means for rotating toy helicopter blades with said receptacle.

9. The toy airport of claim 8 including a gear drive for said driven shaft arranged to rotate said driven shaft substantially faster than said drive shaft; a cam on said driven shaft; and a sounder engaging said cam to simulate a helicopter sound.

10. The toy airport of claim 9 wherein said gear drive includes a gear on said driven shaft and another gear on said platform meshing with said driven shaft gear. 

1. A toy airport comprising: a. a simulated building having a control tower and a flight deck usable by toy aircraft; b. a hand crank supported on said building for rotation in the flight deck region of said building; c. a generally vertical drive shaft supported in said building and turned by said hand crank; d. a drive gear in said building and turned by said shaft; e. a circular horizontal platform, means rotatably mounting said platform in said building below said flight deck, said building having an open space over said platform and said platform having a gear meshing with said drive gear for rotating said platform as said hand crank turns; f. a pair of upright walls spaced closely over said platform over parallel chords of said platform spaced on opposite sides of the center of said platform; g. another upright wall spaced closely over said platform and forming an oblong island oriented over the center of said platform on a diameter parallel with said chord walls and extending for about one-half of the diameter of said platform so simulated baggage circulates around said platform between said walls as said crank turns; and h. said building having openings at opposite ends of said island wall allowing play access to said platform.
 2. The toy airport of claim 1 inCluding a vertical shaft supported in said building and rotatably driven by said platform; a receptacle turned by said driven shaft in the region of said flight deck; and a toy helicopter having a drive connection fitting in said receptacle and including means for rotating toy helicopter blades with said receptacle.
 3. The toy airport of claim 2 including a gear drive for said driven shaft arranged to rotate said driven shaft substantially faster than said drive shaft.
 4. The toy airport of claim 3 wherein said driven shaft has a gear, and said platform has another gear meshing with said driven shaft gear.
 5. The toy airport of claim 4 including a cam on said driven shaft, and a sounder engaging said cam to simulate a helicopter sound as said driven shaft turns.
 6. The toy airport of claim 2 including a cam on said driven shaft, and a sounder engaging said cam to simulate a helicopter sound as said driven shaft turns.
 7. The toy airport of claim 1 including a wing on said building having a flight deck usable by a toy aircraft, and means for pivoting said wing around the axis of said control tower.
 8. The toy airport of claim 7 including a vertical shaft supported in said building and rotatably driven by said platform; a receptacle turned by said driven shaft in the region of said flight deck; and a toy helicopter having a drive connection fitting in said receptacle and including means for rotating toy helicopter blades with said receptacle.
 9. The toy airport of claim 8 including a gear drive for said driven shaft arranged to rotate said driven shaft substantially faster than said drive shaft; a cam on said driven shaft; and a sounder engaging said cam to simulate a helicopter sound.
 10. The toy airport of claim 9 wherein said gear drive includes a gear on said driven shaft and another gear on said platform meshing with said driven shaft gear. 